invo.nyarango.me

Category: National News

  • GMO

    (Photo courtesy The Standard)

    By Hilda Kavai
    (hildahnkavai@gmail.com)

    President William Ruto lifted a 10-year ban on Genetically Modified (GM) crops on October 4, 2022, allowing their importation into the country.

    As expected, the move has elicited mixed reactions from a variety of sources. Opponents of genetically modified foods have stated that President Ruto acted too quickly and that a task force should have been formed first to conduct public participation and awareness creation before implementation.

    As Kenya prepares to commercialize genetically modified crops, some farmers and advocacy groups are raising concerns about their safety.

    The fact that many Kenyan farmers will begin using genetically modified (GM) maize seeds early next year, following the government’s recent lifting of a 10-year ban on the crops.

    According to the country’s agricultural authority, the seeds will be planted on half a million acres and will be drought resistant, helping to alleviate shortages caused by a lack of rain.

    Kenya is currently facing a severe water shortage as a result of four failed consecutive rainy seasons, as well as one of the worst droughts in the East African region in four decades. This means that crops cannot grow, prompting warnings of impending famine. They claim that the lifting of the GMO ban was motivated by a genuine need to ensure food security and environmental protection.

    Kenyan farmers can now openly cultivate GM crops and import genetically modified foods and animal feeds, such as white GMO maize, now that the ban has been lifted. Maize is Kenya’s staple food, and it is grown on 90% of all Kenyan farms. It is used to make ugali, or maize meal, the country’s most popular dish.

    According to scientists, the GMO maize variety developed in Kenya has a 40 percent yield advantage over the conventional hybrid grown locally.
    Agriculture employs 80% of Kenya’s rural population and is the backbone of the country’s economy. Kenyan farmers rely on their crops not only for a living but also to feed their families.

    There are also concerns that farmers who begin using GMOs will become overly reliant on the companies that sell genetically modified seeds, allowing them to dominate the market at the expense of ordinary Kenyan farmers.
    Kenya is the continent’s eighth country to approve the use of GMOs. They are currently permitted for cultivation in 70 countries worldwide.

    According to a state agency in charge of general supervision and control over the transfer, handling, and use of GMOs, the maize varieties have undergone clinical trials and have passed safety assessments.

     

  • ARE MASS GRADUATION PARTIES THE WAY TO GO?

    (Photo courtesy of Juliung Julius)

     

    By Wambui Mwaura

     

    Graduation is a special life event that many people look forward to. It is understandable that after the hustling and bustling of campus life; burning the midnight candles, hopping between classes and generally going through the vigor of higher education academic life, that one would want to celebrate the culmination of the academic journey. A highly acclaimed diploma is thus the ultimate prize, and worthy of celebration. It is a joyful time in the lives of students, and they look forward to celebrating it with family, friends and well-wishers. Graduation spells a sigh of relief, and marks an end to the constant financial outlay f壯陽藥
    ees entails. This is true for parents and guardians or even students who pay their own fees. For the fact that it is a one-off affair, many parents and guardians feel it is warranted to splash huge sums of money on parties in celebrating their children during this time, which represents a huge milestone in their lives.

     

    While some are able to go out of their way to cater for this event, the reality is that not everyone is able to afford extravagant parties. These expenditures usually include: exclusive red carpet dinner parties, photography, new clothing, transport for their extended families and community members among many others. Just like any other big occasion, marketers, event planners and service providers are the biggest gainers. This is why they would never relent in pushing these big ostentatious party narratives to students, thereby creating a kind of situation where students are in fear of missing out.  It usually leaves the less privileged students with feelings of inadequacy and pressure for not being able to keep up with the Jones, and even causing some to fall into depression.

     

    In Daystar graduation groups for example, these planners, in the guise of student/entrepreneurs, step up to offer their services to fellow students for things like graduation dinner gowns, make-up services, graduation photo services and many others.  “As a graduate of the class of 2022, I [had] a chance to market the products of a business I started in 2020 to my fellow graduating students, and I am so glad to say that my business income has grown by 10%”, says Mercy Kasalu, the CEO of Mercelina Collections, and a Daystar University 2022 graduating student (Public Relations Major). She, like many others, benefitted from the fear of missing out this occasion created among her peers.

     

    The current economic crisis facing Kenya is something that can no longer be ignored, and households are tightening their belts, spending the scarce money meagerly on only essential commodities in order to meet basic needs. Needless to say that some families haven’t the wherewithal to cater for special occasions like big graduation parties. It is no secret that many students are facing the brunt of these harsh economic times, and coming up with the graduation fees alone proves to be a huge challenge for them to talk more of extravagant parties. This makes me wonder; are mass graduation parties something worth considering?

     

    Part of the concept of mass weddings is to enable financially constrained couples to celebrate their love at a low budget. For others, it’s just about being financially prudent and not wanting to spend huge sums of money on a day’s event. The same concept can also be applied to students who are not in a position to splash huge sums of money for the graduation occasion. Maybe mass graduation parties should be something worth considering by event planners and service providers in the spirit of inclusivity. Ultimately, everyone deserves to have a memorable graduation celebration, and it should not be dependent on how deep one’s pocket is.

     

    The proponents who are for big parties and huge celebrations might not agree with this. Some of them would argue that they saved for years in order to make it a memorable day to celebrate themselves, for a huge milestone in their lives. That is also true, because no one gets to set a standard of how anyone should celebrate their big day. The parting point is that everyone should feel celebrated, and no one should have to endure the feeling of inadequacy because of financial constraints. Mass graduation parties might indeed be the answer, and probably the next frontier for school party planning. This should be a call to duty for event organizers to take this up as a new business venture. Over to you event organizers.

     

     

     

  • SIM Card Registration Deadline Locks Out Thousands

    By Angela Mutayi.

    The dawn of the 15th of October was not that of a new day alone but also a new phase for Kenyan communication. This is after thousands of unregistered Kenyan SIM cards were suspended by their various telecommunication companies following the set deadline by the Communications Authority of Kenya. Communications had been made to Kenyans from earlier this year to register their SIM cards under their national identity cards by 15th of April to avoid suspension. This deadline was extended to 15th of October, following a low turnout after which unregistered SIM card owners have had their SIM cards suspended. Unregistered Safaricom SIM holders suffer the biggest blow because they are now unable to access MPESA, a popular money transfer means as well as communicate via text messages or purchase browsing bundles. Affected clients have since been advised to visit their nearest Safaricom outlets and have their SIM cards registered.

    The move by the Communications Authority of Kenya to have all Kenyan SIM owners register their cards is to lock out SIM-based fraudsters. Fraud has been a rising issue in Kenya where many are extorted of money via text messages or calls. The perpetrator often presents opportunities such as fake rewards and asks for money in return to cater for whatever the situation demands. Some have mastered the art of configuring money transfer messages similar to MPESA ones and dishing them out to unaware individuals as accidental transfers after which they ask for reversals and end up scamming the individuals. There have been many unprecedented forms of extortion on the rise which have pushed the hand of CA to act in this manner. I believe that in so doing, telecommunication companies have information on their users, and in case of any scam, relevant action can be taken. This move will also ward off attempts by scammers because they often use unregistered or stolen SIM cards in their work.

    Subsequently, there has been a rather low turnout to register lines in the wake of the call. The move to extend SIM card registration from 15th April to 15th October 2022 was after over 14 million Kenyans had failed to register their cards before the initial deadline. My take on all this is that most Kenyans have been ignorant of the matter. Many lack information on the importance of registration or simply what it entails. Some are simply oblivious to the situation at hand, and others do not see the need to provide their personal information to the telecommunication companies again. I mean, why register again when they already have my details right? A recent conversation with a group of friends sparked up the topic, and one asked why they simply could not lift the same details he had provided when he acquired the card and use them for the registration. My take is to countercheck that indeed the holder of this SIM card is the same one on the details you will provide.

    Communication is one domain that continues to develop with technology. Artificial Intelligence is now taking over communication and as a developing nation, these global trends bound to catch up with us. The only issue is that it has caught up with others more than the rest, and some are still in the dark. SIM card registration is only a progressive move in a much bigger and developing telecommunications system. I believe that the future is bright, and in all the negativity and darkness the web sometimes holds, there is a light, there is security and protection against them and for Kenya, and the Communications Authority of Kenya is on the lookout for us.

  • ‘HUSTLER’ CSs WORTH SH 6BN

    {Photo courtesy of Victor Matara}

    By Nicole Waweru

    (Email: wanjirunicole28@gmail.com)

    On Monday 17, October, the selection parliamentary committee began vetting President William Ruto’s Cabinet nominees. The nominees are; Musalia Mudavadi, the former Amani National Congress (ANC) leader with a net worth of ksh.4 billion, Justin Muturi, former speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya with a net worth of ksh.700million, Aden Duale, Garissa Township Member of Parliament (MP) with a net worth of ksh.851 million, Alfred Mutua, the former Governor of Machakos County with a net worth of kshs.420 million, and Alice Wahome, the MP of Kandara in Murang’a County with ksh.218 million.

    Shock hit Kenyans after the immeasurable wealth of these nominees was revealed in Parliament, this sparked a conversation on Twitter as many Kenyans said that the politics in Kenya is very remunerative. In as much as some had worn the lens of ‘politics being lucrative,’ others had however accredited their wealth to corruption, which is still not a surprise. Some were questioned about their past encounters with corruption scandals like Mudavadi, who was asked about the Goldenberg and Nairobi Cemetery land scams. For the Goldenberg scandal, he told the committee that he inherited the scam at the Treasury at its tail end and some of the transactions were unknown to him whereas, for the Nairobi Cemetery land scam, he said he faced a politically instigated investigation by the then Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, (KACC) and in the end, the culprits were caught and jailed.

    Looking at the wealth attained by these Cabinet nominees, we can see that their wealth is also constituted by separate and individual ventures that they carry out outside of politics. For example, one of the nominees, Justin Muturi, says that his income comes from the pension he is earning after serving as a speaker of the National Assembly for ten years, from farming and legal consultancy. He also added that his property was acquired through bank loans and a civil servant stipend for the last 36 years of his career.

    The vetting and nomination process in Kenya is seen to be very orderly, the 12th Parliament amended the Public Approval and Parliamentary Approval Act 2011, to increase the vetting period from 14 days to 28 days. According to research from Mutai, (2022), once the Committee on Appointments receives the list of the Cabinet nominees, the clerk will be required to issue a public notice asking Kenyans with representations to submit memoranda on the nominees. With the nomination process in Kenya, once the Parliament completes the vetting which is set to end by Saturday 2:30 pm, the clerk will notify the President of the decision made within seven days of the decision. Article 152 (1) of the Constitution says the Cabinet includes the President, the Deputy President, and the Attorney-General, and not fewer than 14 and not more than 22 Cabinet Secretaries.So, the question that has been the talk on all social media handles is, “Is politics profitable?” My answer to this is yes. It is no doubt that the Members of Parliament (MPs) in Kenya are amongst the highest paid in the world relative to the size of the economy. Parliament seats are one of the most coveted positions in Kenya this is supported by the holder’s wealth and social ranking. In the years before, there has been an evident trend of those in high senior private sectors leaving, in quest of more laid-back political offices.

    As the ongoing vetting goes on, we hope that these nominees are very passionate about what they are fighting for right now, and when they are appointed, they will stick to their word and do fulfill all the promises that they have made. Their words are on record and I am sure many Kenyans will want to see them be true to their word.

  • THE BLUE FLAG OF EXCELLENCE

    By Nkatha Wainaina.

    The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) on Tuesday night held its 5th edition of the KUZA Broadcasting Awards. KUZA Awards is an initiative of the CAK to recognize and fete broadcasters across Kenya, who demonstrate excellence in their broadcasts in line with the regulatory requirements. The annual event seeks to reward responsible and responsive broadcasting as well as broadcasters who have demonstrated patriotism.

    This year’s theme was Celebrating Excellence in Broadcasting. Daystar University’s own Shine FM radio proudly represented the school by winning the Compliance Award in the community radio category. All community radios in the country qualified to be in the pool but Shine FM emerged the top based on the monitoring of the broadcaster’s compliance with the regulatory requirements during the 2021/2022 Financial Year. In case you missed the magnitude of the competition Shine FM faced, there are twenty-four community radios in the country.

    After a one on one with the elated station’s manager, Chris Avram Waweru, he said that this national recognition has set a cornerstone of brilliance for Shine FM. He continued to say that this doesn’t provoke possible adjustments in running the station but it guides and sets the pace at which the station should always be run.

    “I would like to say thank you to the CAK team for the award. I would also like to recognize the Shine FM team for their hard work & dedication. This wouldn’t have been possible without them. We are elated and motivated, to say the least. More is coming from Shine FM especially as we rebrand”, Chris Avram said.

    The Awards that started in 2018, enable consumer participation and encourage the use of the broadcasting platform for socio-economic development. It has three categories; the Regulatory Compliance Awards, Collaborative Awards and People’s Choice Awards where the audience gets to vote for their favourite radio and television stations.

    Amongst other winners were, Citizen TV for the favourite free-to-air TV in Kenya and Radio Maisha, for the favourite radio station in Kenya.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Kenya Risks Power Outage, Rationing

    By Sumaya Hussein

    Kenyans may face another series of national power outages or rationing soon as the Ministry

    of Energy struggles to repair five main power towers that collapsed in December 2021.

    The Ministry of Energy disclosed that it has no funds to procure a tender to fix the

    Loiyangalani-Suswa transmission line that has been operating on a temporary solution since

    January this year.

    The collapse cut off power from Lake Turkana Wind Power )LTWP) plant in marsabit, which

    supplies almost 17% of Kenya’s electricity.

    Energy Principal Secretary,Gordon Kihalangwa told Parliament that the ministry had

    requested the treasury to make the funds needed available in the second supplementary

    budget.

    “The five towers collapsed in Longonot and we restored supply within two weeks. We are in

    the process of procurement to have the towers restored. We have requested the Treasury for funding under the Supplementary II, ” he said.

    The transmission lines and Suswa substation are owned and operated by Ketraco.

    He added that once the ministry receives funding, Kenya Electricity Transmission Company

    (Ketraco) would issue tenders for the restoration of the main five towers.

    Ketraco acting managing director Antony Omukota confirmed that the firm was using

    temporary solutions to evacuate power.

    “We have not commenced procurement for a permanent solution because we have no funds.

    We are looking forward to getting the funds allocated in the supplementary budget, he said.

    The ministry however, has not disclosed the amount of money needed in the repair.

    In late December, the Loiyangalani-Suswa transmission line collapsed after damage the five

    towers knocking out power supply and leading to rationing in parts of the country while it

    was being repaired.

    The use of temporary solutions raises the risk of nationwide power outage should a temporary

    tower collapse.

  • Orie Rogo Manduli Dies at 73

    By Evelyne Syombua

    (issyombua@gmail.com)

    Thumbnail Photo Courtesy of standardmedia.co.ke

    Orie Rogo Manduli, Kenya’s first female rally driver, a veteran journalist, and former MP, has died at the age of 73. She passed on at her Riverside home on Wednesday 8 September. She was known for describing herself as a “lioness in her cage”. Most Kenyans recognize her for her distinctive and colossal head scarves, which frequently accompany the Nigerian-style clothes she adored.

    She was born Mary Orie Rogo in Maseno to Gordon Rogo and Zeruiah Adhiambo who were teachers.  Manduli attended three high-schools NNg’iya Girls High School, then Butere Girls and then Machakos Girls.

    She was the first East African woman to participate in safari rally in 1974 and 1975. She then proceeded to Machakos Teachers College and got married upon her completion. Manduli changed her name to Mary Orie Rogo Ondieki. They were blessed with three children, all daughter.

    After five years of marriage they got divorced.  She remarried in 1980 to Norman Manduli, who was a Zambian, hence her name changed to Orie Rogo Manduli. Norman died in 2003.

    She served at the National Council of Non-Governmental Organisations, International Council of Women’s Council representative to the United Nations Environment Programme and Habitat.

    She was the frist woman to hold the position of the Administrative Mananger at the Coffee Board of Kenya.

    She was hosting a show in KBC- Women’s World- after interviewing rally drivers in this show she developed her interest for the safari rally.

    “The safari was hectic, it was beautiful, the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was the driver, I am always the driver. It’s just that I’m always the driver in any situation. We did not finish but managed two legs,” she previously told the Nation.

  • INVOLVEMENT ISSUE 240

    Use the link below to access the Involvement Newspaper issue 240 which features a range of articles written by our writers to ensure that you stay informed on News within and outside Daystar. 

    Issue 240 Final

     

  • Parents Adopting Children to get Paid Leave

    By Fatiha Shabir

    (fatihashabz@gmail.com)

    President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, signing a bill into law – PSCU

    President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday, signed into law the Employment (Amendment) Bill of 2019, which will allow parents who apply for adoption of children to be granted one-month pre-adoptive leave with full pay.

    The signing happened at State House, Nairobi and was attended by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, majority Leader Amos Kimunya and Head of Public Service Dr Joseph Kinyua.

    The new Bill amends the Employment Act of 2007 and states that an employee who is an adoptive parent of a child below the age of two, is entitled to an adoption leave of one month inclusive of full pay.

    The Bill also includes paternity leave where a male employee, immediately after the delivery of his child, shall have the right to a paternity leave for a period of 14 days with full pay.

    The President also signed into law the Business Laws (Amendment) Bill of 2021 which amends several statutes to facilitate the ease of doing business in Kenya.

  • Former Daystar DVC Appointed as St. Paul’s VC

    By: Sumaya Hussein (husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

    Thumbnail photo: New St Paul’s VC James Kombo. Photo courtesy of St Paul’s University

    Daystar’s former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. James Kombo, was today installed as the third Vice-Chancellor of St. Paul’s University (SPU).

    In a ceremony held today at St. Paul’s University in Limuru, the process of installation was performed by the University Chancellor, Prof Margaret Kobia, who is also the CS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs.

    “I, James Kombo, do accept the position of Vice-Chancellor in this University, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen”, declared Prof. Kombo, after which he began to be robed in the St. Paul’s gown.

    VC Prof. James Kombo signing his acceptance statement. Photo courtesy of St Paul’s University.

    The event was attended by the Senate Majority Leader, Hon. Samuel Poghisio, former St. Paul’s VC Prof. Joseph Galgallo, Daystar VC Prof. Laban Ayiro, Daystar DVC Finance, Administration and Planning, Dr Muturi Wachira and Vice-Chancellors from other various universities.

    Students receiving the new VC through their leaders. Photo courtesy of St Paul’s University.

    The former St. Paul’s VC handed over the University seal, charter, mace, logo and flag to Chancellor Kobia, who then gave them to Prof. Kombo. The installation was finalized when Prof. Kombo signed his acceptance statement, witnessed by the Chancellor.

    Former St Paul’s VC Joseph Galgallo. Photo courtesy of St Paul’s University.

    The Chief Guest Hon. Samuel Poghisio during his speech acknowledged Prof. Kombo saying that his installation “marks yet another milestone in the long journey of SPU to transform itself into a centre of excellence within the context of Kenya and Africa’s realities and needs”.

    Hon. Samuel Poghisio, EGH, MP – Leader of the Majority in the Senate. Photo courtesy of St Paul’s University.